Israelite Religions

An Archaeological and Biblical Survey

Richard S. Hess

Baker Academic Grand Rapids, Michigan

APOLLOS

© 2007 by Richard S. Hess

Published by Baker Academic

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.bakeracademic.com

and Apollos

(an imprint of Inter-Varsity Press)

Norton Street

Nottingham NG7 3HR, England

email: ivp@ivpbooks.com

website: www.ivpbooks.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hess, Richard S.

Israelite religions: an archaeological and biblical survey / Richard S. Hess.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 10: 0-8010-2717-9 (cloth)

ISBN 978-0-8010-2717-8 (cloth)

1. Judaism—History—To 70 A.D. 2. Jews—History—To 70 A.D. 3. Bible. O.T.—Theology. 4. Bible. O.T.—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 5. Bible. O.T.—Antiquities.

I. Title.

BM165.H47 2007

296.09′01—dc22

2007012611

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

UK ISBN 978-1-84474-190-8

Scripture quotations are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Contents

List of Figures

Preface

1 Introduction

2 Approaches to the Study of Religion

3 Previous Study of Israelite Religion

4 Pre-Israelite West Semitic Religion: Syria and Egypt

5 Pre-Israelite West Semitic Religion: Palestine and Jordan

6 Narrative and Legal Strands of the Pentateuch

7 Priestly and Cultic Strands of the Pentateuch

8 Early Israel and the United Monarchy

9 Written Sources for the Divided Monarchy

10 Archaeological Sources for the Divided Monarchy

11 Exilic and Postexilic Religion

12 Conclusions

Reference List

Name Index

Scripture Index

Subject Index

Figures

Fig. 1. Map of Southern Canaan and Neighbors

Fig. 2. Part of Hattusas, Capital of the Hittite empire

Fig. 3. Map of Mesopotamia

Fig. 4. Amarna Tablet

Fig. 5. Late Bronze Age Hazor acropolis defenses

Fig. 6. Third-Millennium BC Early Bronze Age Altar at Megiddo

Fig. 7. Late Bronze Age Beth Shan behind Roman Scythopolis

Fig. 8. Late Bronze Age Shechem fortress temple

Fig. 9. Standing stones at Gezer

Fig. 10. Lachish goddess plaque

Fig. 11. Megiddo ivory with image of chariot and prince on throne

Fig. 12. Temple of Amon-Re at Karnak

Fig. 13. Tel Ashkelon

Fig. 14. Middle Bronze Age silver and bronze calf from Ashkelon

Fig. 15. Jebel Musa, possible site of Mount Sinai

Fig. 16. Tel Bethsaida

Fig. 17. Standing stones from Uvda Valley

Fig. 18. Structures marking burials in the Sinai peninsula

Fig. 19. Negev open sanctuary

Fig. 20. Negev rock cut crenelations...